Page 4 November 14, 2013 Joe’s Sports Christmas Comes Early By Adam Serrao So we all wondered what the Lakers would look like without Dwight Howard. Well, last Thursday night at Houston’s Toyota Center against their former teammate’s Houston Rockets, everyone got a good idea. With Pau Gasol at his natural center position and Kobe Bryant’s absence meaning that Steve Nash could now handle the ball and run around the court like he did in his Phoenix days, these Los Angeles Lakers finally began to look the way we all had hoped they would. Obviously, the season is young and the Lakers have been the epitome of inconsistent already to begin the year. But for just one game and on just one night, this Lakers’ squad became a team. It took Dwight Howard to be on the court with his old teammates once again, but this time he was dressed in a different uniform. With a last-second victory literally in the face of Howard, however, the Los Angeles Lakers gained something that they failed to obtain all of last year--an identity. They might be old, they might be slow and both Nash and Gasol might both now be well past their respective primes, but the smiles on everyone’s faces wearing purple and gold last Thursday night spoke volumes to this team recently assembled in the offseason. In the background, the story was much different. The home team’s Rockets and Howard progressed off of the floor--some bickering with each other and others like Howard moping with their heads directed towards the ground. It was a sight that Laker fans had gotten all too used to last year as their team severely underachieved, most likely causing Howard to retreat to Texas in hopes of greener pastures. Howard’s recent departure definitely left a deep disdain in the hearts and souls of all those who love Los Angeles and not just the Lakers--Howard was booed at a Clippers game also. Most people, especially players, will tell you how Kobe put it when asked if there was any extra incentive beating Howard at his new home. “No.” Bryant said coldly. “We needed a win though, so it’s good to get a win.” Almost no player in the league will actually admit it when the game means more than it actually does on the scoreboard-- especially Kobe Bryant. Even Howard downplayed the matchup. “Our team is on a mission, so we can’t concern ourselves with one game,” he said. “It’s another game. Just go out there and play, have fun and get a win.” Clearly, that is Howard’s mind’s state as he takes the court every game this year for the Rockets. He attempted to make it his mindset last year with the Lakers as well. There was only one problem: He played alongside Bryant. There is no question that Howard has the talent to be one of the NBA’s premier centers. He desires so much to have fun and joke around, though, that it takes away from his game. Bryant, on the other hand, has an undying passion, fire and will to win. That is primarily the reason that the two players did not get along and why Howard finds himself in a Houston uniform for the time being. Because Howard lacks that passion and fire, he can never be the best player on a championship team. Howard thinks that he has that ability, but he doesn’t have the dedication. That’s why it was particularly amusing to watch him struggle from the free throw line, as he did the entire year in L.A., as Laker head coach Mike D’Antoni initiated the hack-a-Howard technique. Howard missed 10 free throws in the quarter and the Rockets gave up a seven-point lead to the Lakers that they previously maintained with just over a minute remaining in the contest. To add insult to injury, Steve Blake nailed the game-winning shot with one second remaining on the clock in Howard’s face as the Lakers walked off victoriously and Howard was left to meditate on his mistakes. Those same mistakes were the ones that he made here with the Lakers and will be the same ones that follow him around wherever he goes for the rest of his career. Howard has the talent, but his infatuation with having fun personally hand-wrapped the Lakers’ first road victory of the season last Thursday night. By no means at all is this Laker team a championship-caliber squad--at least not without Bryant. They wound up losing to the New Orleans Pelicans the very next day by 11 points, giving the team three double-digit losses on the season already. But just like Howard was apparently not concerned that the Lakers were coming to town, Laker management is not concerned with a championship this season. This is the year to find young, special players that can saddle up on a championship run next season when Bryant is healthy, GM Mitch Kupchak can round up some top-of-the-line free agents, and perhaps Phil Jackson will come back to sit at the front of the bench. What matters the most this year are those games circled in red on the calendar in the Laker locker room. One was against the Los Angeles Clippers on opening night, with another highlighted by the win in Houston in Howard’s face. So far, the Lakers are 2-2 in that category. For a team with such low expectations coming into this year, Christmas has certainly come early this year for the Lakers indeed. • Local Teams Show Promise at Ocean Finals By Joe Snyder None of the Hawthorne, Lawndale Environmental Charter, Lawndale, Inglewood or Morningside boys’ or girls’ cross country teams advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Prelims, but they showed promise at their league finals last Thursday. After dropping their programs some six years ago, the Cougar boys and girls had a few fine performances. Hawthorne boys were led by the Santana brothers with senior Jason breaking in the top 10 with a ninth-place finish at 16 minutes and 57 seconds over the three-mile course at last Thursday’s Ocean League championships at Rancho Park. Jason’s sophomore brother Alex placed 17th, clocking 17:57. The mostly young Cougar boys took fifth in the meet behind firstplace Santa Monica (18 place points), secondplace Beverly Hills (52), third-place Culver City (95) and fourth-place Lawndale Environmental Charter (117) at 121. Inglewood Morningside (160) took sixth and Inglewood did not have enough finishers to score. Hawthorne’s girls fell one position of advancing to the CIF-Southern Section Division II Prelims Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut at fourth place behind winner Santa Monica (17), runner-up Culver City (48) and third-place Beverly Hills (70). Environmental Charter placed fifth at 124, followed by Inglewood (160). Morningside did not field a girls’ team. Annie Martinez was the Cougars’ top finisher, timing 25:58. Other top Hawthorne finishers were Tiffany Villalobos (26:00), Arime Vasquez (26:01), Prectius Onouhali (26:02) and Alice Hernandez (26:04). The runners were able to finish together very well. “This is our first cross country team in six years,” Hawthorne head coach David Guerra said. “It was a great effort for these kids. We had no summer training. We’ll be a lot more competitive with a lot larger team by next year. We’ve grown tremendously in a short time.” Environmental Charter, a small school based in Lawndale, had a good showing behind senior Jesse Lopez who finished fourth in 17:56. Other top Environmental finishers included sophomore Manny Munoz (20th, 18:42), senior Julyan Carella (24th, 19:03), senior Alex Miro (28th, 20:09) and senior Gary Garcia (29th, 20:18). Morningside was not all that impressive, but according to head coach Carl Franklin (a longtime successful head boys’ basketball mentor from 1975-2006), all of his runners recorded their personal best times. Leading the Monarch boys was senior Ali Mahad, who placed 25th while clocking 19:05. Other top Morningside runners were Max Williams (30th, 20:13), Justin Dunlap (31st, 20:39), Edwin Salazar (20:49) and Ernie Nayaga (21:24). Like in the team, Santa Monica swept the boys individual with Arden Lassalle winning the race at 15:11 and Kasia Krzyzonoski (18:50) topping the girls. The top three teams advance to Saturday’s Southern Section Prelims at Mt. SAC. In the Pioneer League finals at Columbia Park in Torrance last Thursday, Lawndale’s boys’ team took fifth, finishing ahead of last place Compton Centennial 152-180. The Cardinals were led by senior Jose Salazar, who was 26th in 19:08. Other top Lawndale finishers included sophomore Ignacio Arteaga (30th, 20:33), senior Noe Diaz (31st, 20:47), senior Marco Estrella (32nd, 21:15) and Edgear Hernandez (33rd, 20:41). The Cardinal girls were Jason Santos of Hawthorne finished ninth with a time of 16:57 in last Thursday’s Ocean League Cross Country Championships at Rancho Park. The Cougars are fielding cross-country for the first time since 2007. Photo by Joe Snyder. also fifth. Lawndale’s top finisher was Glory Conejo, timing 24:56. Torrance captured the boys’ title 39-50 over runner-up South Torrance. The Spartans, though, had the top individual finisher in junior Nick Lofgren in 16:20. South, behind winner Kimberly Coscia (18:48), won the girls’ division 23-38 over Torrance. MORNINGSIDE TOPS INGLEWOOD FOR PLAYOFF SPOT Morningside High’s football team topped c r o s s - t o w n r i v a l Inglewood 19-15 for third place in the Ocean League and a spot in the CIF-Southern Section Western Division playoffs. The Monarchs, who are 6-4 overall after going 3-2 in league to finish behind champion Culver City and runner-up Santa Monica, begin the playoffs at second-seeded Chaminade in West Hills Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Eagles (8-2) finished second behind champion Gardena Serra (10-0), which is the top seed and hosts Pacifica High from Oxnard at the same time. The Cavaliers, who have several players living in Lawndale, Hawthorne and Inglewood, are ranked second behind Bellflower St. John Bosco (top seed in the prestigious PAC Five Division) in Southern California and are seeking a spot in the California State Bowl Series Open Division if it wins the division. LAWNDALE WINS PIONEER FINALE After a 4-1 preseason, Lawndale High’s football team lost its first four Pioneer League games, but finally pulled through for its first league victory in four years by edging host Centennial High 20-18 last Friday in Compton. With the win, the Cardinals finished league at 1-4 and had an overall mark at 5-5. With a mostly young squad, Lawndale will hope to be a strong contender in the Ocean League, where it will move in with Hawthorne, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Santa Monica and El Segundo next year. The victory also snapped Lawndale’s 19-game league losing streak dating back to 2010. HAWTHORNE, LEUZINGER SHUT OUT Hawthorne High’s football team closed out its season at 3-7 overall and 1-4 in the Ocean League after a 42-0 home loss to second place Santa Monica (6-4, 4-1) last Friday. The Olympians ended the rigorous Bay League at 0-5 and were shut out in all of their five games after a 43-0 loss at third place West Torrance last Friday. Leuzinger was outscored 227-0 in its five Bay games. Both the Vikings and Warriors move on to the CIF-Southern Section playoffs on Friday. • “But for just one game and on just one night, this Lakers’ squad became a team.” Like Us on Facebook
Lawndale 11_14_13
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